Carlos Sainz on 'partying' lifestyle as an F1 driver

Carlos Sainz and Rebecca Donaldson look at the camera in black tie at the Cannes film festival — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Carlos Sainz on 'partying' lifestyle as an F1 driver

2026 marks Sainz's 12th season in F1

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Friday 5 June 2026 12:12

Williams racing star Carlos Sainz has shed light on whether he has time for partying in between his demanding F1 schedule and exhausting physical race weekend preparation.

Ahead of this year's Monaco Grand Prix, Sainz sat down with Vanity Fair to discuss his approach to racing both on and off the track now that he has entered his 12th campaign in the sport, with his fifth different team.

Having began his career in F1 as part of Red Bull's development ranks at Toro Rosso, Sainz had to deal with the rejection of being left at the junior squad after the energy drink giants favoured his old team-mate Max Verstappen.

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Watching on as the Dutchman was promoted up to the main team, Sainz had to be patient to get his first grand prix win under his belt, with all four of his current victories coming as a result of his time driving for Ferrari.

Having entered a new era of his career at 31 years of age with Williams, Sainz maintains he has no time for partying, and wishes to race in the sport for as long as possible.

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Sainz has no time for partying: 'I want to keep racing until I'm 40'

Just like his childhood hero and countryman Fernando Alonso, Sainz envisions a world where his dedication to keeping fit and avoiding endless partying allows him to race well into his forties.

"I get hooked on all sports until I reach a decent level, even on vacation with my friends, who are all athletes," the Spaniard said in a recent interview, indicating that without sport, he wouldn't have an appropriate outlet for his competitive nature.

Unpacking how that has impacted his ability to relax and party, Sainz continued: "So, there's not much partying: suddenly nine o'clock at night rolls around, we all go out to dinner together, and when we say 'Come on, let's have a drink,' we don't because we're dead tired," he revealed whilst laughing.

In the same interview, Sainz pointed to the future he has in mind in F1 and with his girlfriend Rebecca Donaldson, admitting: "I envision a long career. And I think I’m someone who will be in the world of sports, and motorsports specifically, for quite some time. I don’t know in what role or how, but I’d like to keep racing from at least 31 to 40 years old for sure , whether it’s Formula 1 or any other discipline.

"And from there, I’ll look at my personal and family situation and decide if I want to continue racing or if I want to dedicate myself to another role within the sport. Maybe in five years you’ll interview me again and I’ll tell you something different, but right now that’s what I want to do.”

F1 Carlos Sainz Williams